Main
Alex Rajewski
Experienced bioinformatics data scientist with experience in oncology, drug design, single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, epigenetics, genome assembly, and phylogenetics. Also skilled in pipeline development, including Nextflow, Docker, Singularity, and Git. I am an excellent science communicator to both public and professional audiences.
Education
PhD Bioinformatics & Plant Biology
University of California, Riverside
N/A
2020
- Genome assembly/annotation, RNA-seq, phylogenetics, high-throughput CRISPR screening
- NGS library prep, PCR, tissue culture, in situ hybridization, microscopy
MS Horticulture
University of Georgia
N/A
2015
- Population genetics, Microsatellites/SSR, phylogenetics
BS Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology
Drake University
N/A
2010
Work Experience
Bioinformatics Scientist
SEngine Precision Medicine
N/A
current - 2022
- Development of high-throughput drug screening analysis pipelines in R
- Consultation on experimental design and statistical analysis
Research Bioinformatician II
Cedars-Sinai Genomics Core
N/A
2022 - 2021
- Advanced analysis of single-cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, WES/WGS, CUT&Tag, ATAC-seq
- Pipeline development with Nextflow, Docker, and Git
Research Assistant
University of California, Riverside
N/A
2020 - 2015
- Created and characterized CRISPR mutants for a trait validation project
- Sequenced, assembled, and functionally annotated the genome of Datura stramonium
Research Assistant
University of Georgia
N/A
2015 - 2013
- NGS and microsatellite analysis of poplation genetic structure
Congress-Bundestag Fellow & Research Intern
Universität Rostock
N/A
2012 - 2011
- Vaccine production in transgenic plants
- Developed plant transformation methods in lupine, pea, tobacco, and potato
Research Assistant
Pioneer Hi-Bred (Corteva)
N/A
2011 - 2010
- Developed SQL database to integrate phenotypic and genotypic measurements
NSF Research Intern
North Carolina State University
N/A
Aug 2009 - May 2009
- Validated viral protein production in novel hosts
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Stacking the odds: Multiple sites for HSV-1 latency
Science Advances.
Shaohui Wang, Xueying Song, Alex Rajewski, Chintda Santiskulvong, and Homayon Ghiasi
N/A
2023
Multispecies Transcriptomes Reveal Core Fruit Development Genes
Frontiers in Plant Science
Alex Rajewski, Dinusha Maheepala, Jessica Le, Amy Litt
N/A
2022
SOX9 switch orchestrates dynamic Wnt niches and kidney myofibroblast activity
Cell (In Review)
Z. Wang; S. Aggarwal; A. Rajewski; M.K. Bhasin; K. Suresh; M. Yamashita; H. Akiyama; S.A.Karumanchi; S.C. Jordan; P.W. Noble; P.E. Cippà; S. Kumar.
N/A
2022
Cell therapy attenuates endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive rats with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction
Heart and Circulatory Physiology
G. de Couto, T. Mesquita, X. Wu, A. Rajewski, F. Huang, A. Akhmerov, N. Na, D. Wu, Y. Wang, L. Li, M. Tran, P. Kilfoil, E. Cingolani, E. Marbán
N/A
2022
Datura Genome Reveals Duplications of Psychoactive Alkaloid Biosynthetic Genes and High Mutation Rate Following Tissue Culture
BMC Genomics
Alex Rajewski, Derreck Carter-House, Jason Stajich, and Amy Litt
N/A
2021
in Vitro Plant Regeneration and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated Transformation of Datura stramonium
Applications in Plant Science
Alex Rajewski, Kevan Elkins, Ashley Henry, Joyce Van Eck, and Amy Litt
N/A
2019
Evolution and Diversification of FRUITFULL Genes in Solanaceae
Frontiers in Plant Science
Dinusha Maheepala, Chris Emerling, Alex Rajewski, Jenna Macon, Maya Stahl, Natalia Pabón-Mora, and Amy Litt
N/A
2019
Classification and phylogenetic analyses of the Arabidopsis and tomato G-type lectin receptor kinases
BMC Genomics
Marcella A. Teixeira, Alex Rajewski, Jiangman He, Olenka G. Castaneda, Amy Litt, and Isgouhi Kaloshian
N/A
2018
Teaching Experience
Tools for building highly customized figures
Botany Conference
Tucson, AZ
2019
- Co-taught a workshop using base R graphics for data presentation
Making Your Work Environment LGBTQ+ Welcoming and Affirming
Plant Biology Conference
San Jose, CA
2019
- Hosted a panel discussion on LGBTQ+ representation and workplace issues
- Recruited speakers from both academia and industry
California’s Cornucopia (TA)
UCR Dept of Botany and Plant Science
Riverside, CA
2018
- Led discussion sections for 120 students
- Introductory, non-major course
Foundations of Plant Biology (TA)
UCR Dept of Botany and Plant Science
Riverside, CA
2016
- Designed and led lab sections for 80 students
- Broad, upper-division course
Outreach
Extension Master Gardener
California, Iowa, Kansas, Georgia
N/A
current - 2010
Big Brother
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire
N/A
current - 2018
Community OUTreach Educator
University of California, Riverside
N/A
2020 - 2016
Mentor
Planting Science
N/A
2020 - 2017
President
UCR Queer (LGBT) Graduate Student Association
N/A
2018 - 2017
Academic Affairs Officer
University of California, Riverside
N/A
2018 - 2017
Secretary, Botany Grad Student Assoc.
University of California, Riverside
N/A
2018 - 2017
Mentor, Grad Student Mentorship Program
University of California, Riverside
N/A
2018 - 2016
Member Services Taskforce
American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference
N/A
2017 - 2016
Chair, Grad Student Working Group
American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference
N/A
2016 - 2014
Vice President, Horticulture Grad Student Assoc.
University of Georgia
N/A
2015 - 2013
President, Beta Beta Beta
Drake University
N/A
2010 - 2009
Oral and Poster Presentations
Multispecies fruit transcriptomes highlight divergence across developmental and evolutionary time
Oral presentation
Botany Conference
2020
Hybrid Origin of Bamboo Population Inferred from Haplotype-Phased Amplicon sequencing
Southern California Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics Meeting
Oral presentation
2019
Identification of Conserved Regulatory Modules in Dry and Fleshy Fruit Development
Oral presentation
Botany Conference
2019
There and Back Again: When Evolution Reverses
Three-Minute Thesis Competition
American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference
2017
- 3rd Place Award
Optimizing Tissue Culture Methods in Diverse Nightshade Species
Poster Presentation
ASHS Conference
2017
Developmental Transcriptome of Nicotiana obtusifolia
Poster Presentation
UC Riverside CEPCEB
Post-Doc Symposium
2017
Optimizing Tissue Culture Methods in Diverse Solanaceae Species
Poster Presentation
Solanaceae Conference
2016
Evidence of Interspecific Hybridization or Incomplete Lineage Sorting in River Cane (Arundinaria gigantea)
Oral presentation
ASHS Conference
2016
A Family Divided: Evolution of Dry and Fleshy Fruit in Nightshades
Three-Minute Thesis Competition
ASHS Conference
2016
- 1st Place Award
Role of FRUITFULL in the Evolution of Fleshy Fruits: Optimizing Solanaceae Tissue Culture to Generate Stable Transgenic Knockout Lines
Oral presentation
Botany Conference
2016
In Vitro Comparison of Benzyladenine and meta-Topolin on Shoot Proliferation of River Cane, a Candidate for Wetlands Restoration
Poster Presentation
ASHS Conference
2015
Raising Cane: Sustainable Bamboo Restoration in the American Southeast
Three-Minute Thesis Competition
ASHS Conferencee
University of Georgia
2015
- 1st Place Award at ASHS
- Top 10 at UGA
Clonal Structure, Genetic Diversity, and in vitro Propagation of River Cane (Arundinaria gigantea), a candidate for use in wetlands reclamation
Oral presentation
Southern Region ASHS Conference
2015
Disinfestation and in vitro Growth and Development of Arundinaria
Oral presentation
UGA Interdisciplinary
Graduate Plant and Soil Symposium
2014
- 1st Place Award (Masters Category)
Sterilization and in vitro Growth and Development of Arundinaria
Poster Presentation
Southern Region of North America
International Plant Propagators Society Conference
2014
Comparison of the Symptoms Caused by Three Geminiviruses in a Common Host
Poster Presentation
NCSU Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences
2009